Boy Number Three
by Atolia
Summary: Out of the two of them, Blaine has always been the star. Cooper just wonders if anyone will ever notice.


Title: Boy Number Three

Summary: Blaine has always been the star. And Cooper is just a faceless extra.

Disclaimer: Characters used are the intellectual property of Fox and RIB. I make no money from the publication of this one-shot.

Sometimes Cooper thinks that the upper class hasn't changed a bit since the 1700s. He is the first born, so he is the star. He sits to his father's right at business dinners and tries not to make a fool of himself as the other adults in the room quiz him about his interests. Cooper always feels inferior to the other little boys in the room. They are captains of sports, leads in the school plays and on the honor roll. Cooper likes sports, but he's never been good enough to make captain. Cooper's been in school plays with these boys, but he's always a chorus member or Boy Number Three who falls off stage before the end of the first act. He's so uncomfortable, but he is the only one who sees it.

"You're so well rounded, Cooper. I wish Jonathan would do something other than his stupid soccer team," Mrs. Sterling coos, ruffling his hair one night.

Deep down, Cooper wishes he could switch places with his little brother. Blaine, he thinks, would be much better suited to this position. Blaine is brilliant. Just turned four and is already devouring books too heavy for him to carry by himself. Two months ago, Blaine started piano lessons. He's a natural. Four, and never been to school, and already Blaine's got a steady following of friends, including Jonathan Sterling's little brother, Jeff.

In the next few years, Cooper feels outdated. His brother is the newer, better model. Whatever Cooper has ever accomplished, Blaine will do better and faster. Cooper feels like he's running whenever he's home. Running from Blaine and his talent. Because Blaine is like all those little boys from Cooper's childhood. Blaine is the start of the show, and Cooper is Boy Number Three. He just doesn't understand why no one else sees it.

So he escapes across the country to college and makes every excuse to be home as little as possible. He avoids Blaine when he comes home, and ignores the hurt looks his brother throws in his direction. Sometimes, Cooper just wants to shake Blaine and scream, "Why don't you understand how amazing you are?"

He goes through four years of college quietly noticing his brother where no one else does. Blaine finishes his freshman year with straight As, a spot on a polo team, and three casts. Part of Cooper is afraid that the dance incident will crush Blaine's spirit, but most of him is thrilled that Blaine has finally completely fucked something up. He finishes college that year, moves into a tiny apartment, takes up a day job to pay the rent and goes to theater auditions at night. He slowly cuts off contact with his family. He lands small parts in commercials and dates around, and for the first time in his life, he can be whoever he wants to be. There are no family expectations looming over him. There are no brilliant little brothers lurking just over his shoulder. Things aren't fantastic, but they're good enough for Cooper.

And then he walks in on his live-in girlfriend and her long-term lover and everything falls to pieces. Cooper can't stay in that apartment, in that neighborhood without the constant press of disappointment down his throat. He isn't sure how he winds up in Westerville, pulling up to his old house; he chalks it up to the fact that he's been operating on autopilot for the past week. It's been almost two years since he's talked to anyone in that house, but it is strangely like nothing has changed. His mother lets him in the house, trilling nonsense and making up his room for him. He doesn't mean to visit Blaine at school, either, but he needs to get away from his mother. He can't deal with her nonsensical pleasantries and her clear avoidance of his sudden reappearance in her house.

"Where's Blaine?" he blurts abruptly.

She gives him a heavy look and explains that Blaine goes to public school in Lima now. And now that he's mentioned it, the school becomes his escape. He leaves his mother alone in the house and gets in his car. The school itself is unremarkable. There are a few rough-looking characters hanging about, but the last Cooper heard, Blaine's taken up boxing, and knowing his little brother, Blaine is probably brilliant at it. There are students who whisper as he passes them, but he ignores that too. It's only when Blaine's boyfriend looks at him with wide adoring eyes that Cooper understands. He's been on TV, so to these people, he is a star. Six girls as him out that day, he takes pictures with boy with the strongest Irish accent he's ever heard, and the show choir director asks him to give his students a "master class".

Blaine doesn't meet his eye throughout the day, and goes out of his way to avoid Cooper. The only time they are in the same room is during Cooper's "master class", and Cooper can feel the dismissal and the disgust radiating from his little brother even as he bluffs his way through the lesson at the front of the room. By the time the day is over, Cooper is swallowing down the bile. Blaine doesn't wait for him at the end of the day, opting to have his boyfriend drive him home instead.

Cooper walks slowly back to his car. Nothing has changed. Blaine is still brilliant, and smart and talented and _brave_. Cooper thinks back to that night in college and finding out Blaine was in the hospital. The thrill he had felt then makes him sick now, because Blaine has proved, once again, that he is better than Cooper. That he can not only _survive_ something like that, but can _thrive_. And, oh, he has a _boyfriend_ now. Cooper leans against his car and just _breathes_. Everything is like it has always been in Ohio. Blaine is the star, and Cooper is Boy Number Three, but no one can see it. Nothing has changed. Except that it has. Because Blaine _knows_ now.

**A/N: I'm not really sure if this turned out the way I wanted it to, but oh well. Thought I'd jump on the bandwagon for Big Brother. This will probably be AU when the episode airs, but it was fun to write. I wanted to do a new take on the jealousy theme that I've seen with the Anderbros before. Hope you liked it! **


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